Investigations of pollen loads on wild bees (Hymenoptera Apoidea)

Table 1 No. of visited plant species while a single flight of pollen collecting in %. All data base on pollen analytical investigations. In contrast to Brian, Hasselrot, Macior and Richards pollen with a lower part of 5 % was assessed as intake pollen by chance ( method and discussion Westrich & Schmidt 1986).

No. of visited plant species

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

BRIAN (1954)

49.5

30.3

11.6

5.8

1.6

1.1

0.3

HASSELROT (1960)

Social, polylectic

61.9

27.3

7.9

2.3

0.3

0.3

0.1

MACIOR (1968)

(gen. Bombus Latr.)

55.4

30.6

11.3

2.7

RICHARDS (1973)

50.0

38.6

8.6

0.7

ERLINGHAGEN (1991)

61.9

35.7

2.4

ERLINGHAGEN (1991)

Solitär, polylectic

37.0

63

ERLINGHAGEN (1991)

Solitär, oligolectic

1*

ERLINGHAGEN (1991)

Honey bee (Apis mellifera)

100

* absolute no. (Andrena agilissima as a oligolectic species collected pollen of Sinapis arvensis and Brassica napus, both belong to the family of Brassicaceae)

References

Brian, A.D. (1954): The foraging of bumblebees. Bee world, 35: 61-91.

Erlinghagen, F. (1991): On the wild bee fauna (Hymenoptera Apoidea) of field borders in the Eifel (Germany) in relation to the blossom visitation spectrum. (In German). Diplom thesis University of Hannover, Department of Biology, Entomology group.